A Few Moments in the Lives of Two Friends
by Mongie
Summary: A series of 100 drabbles based around Mark and Roger.  Friendship, canon pairings, and MarkRoger all make appearances. Ranges from PreRent to PostRent, from fluff to angst to smut, and varies in ratings.
1. Beginnings, Sight, Middles, Tears

**This is a series of drabbles I signed up to write around the characters of Mark and Roger. I'm about finished with all 100 of them, so I figured that I would start posting them a few at a time.**

**These are not in any particular order, and most of them can be read on their own. If they do build off of each other I will post them together and make a note of it. These range from them being anything from friends to lovers, just to warn you, go from Pre-Rent to Post – Rent, and are anywhere in rating from G to M. I'll put up a warning if there's anything to make the rating go up above the drabble. I'm kind of experimenting with how to format this, so bear with me.**

* * *

**Title:**Too Chipper  
**Prompt:** Beginnings  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Mark and Roger have very different ideas on how to start the day...

Every morning, Mark would wake up early, ready to begin filming. Usually Roger would be sprawled across the couch, his guitar hanging limply from his grasp.

Mark would clatter around the kitchen, and Roger would wake up. He'd glare at Mark as he stumbled to his room to fall back asleep.

But one morning when Mark tried to leave his room, he couldn't open the door.

"Roger?" he yelled, guessing who had done it. "Let me out!"

Roger opened one eye and looked at the string that ran from couch to door. Mark needed to learn how to sleep in.

**Title:**Glasses  
**Prompt:** Sight  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Mark loses his glasses

Mark couldn't see without his glasses. He really couldn't see.

Roger woke up to Mark cursing. "What's wrong?" he asked sleepily, rolling over.

"I knocked my glasses off the table, and I can't find them."

Roger blearily climbed over his friend and, hanging upside down off the bed, searched the floor until he'd found them. Mark squirmed and mumbled about how heavy he was.

Roger pulled himself back up, handed the glasses to Mark, and crawled back to his side of the bed, pulling his blanket over his head. He barely heard Mark's "thank you" before he'd fallen back asleep.

**Title:**Poor Roger  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship, Roger/Mimi  
**Prompt:** Middles  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**It's the middle of the night. Roger and Mimi are in the middle of a fight. Roger is in the middle of Mark's bed

It was the middle of the night when Mark woke up to someone climbing into his bed. He sleepily opened his eyes to find Roger disappearing under the blankets. He peeked. Roger looked back at him. "Mimi kicked me out of my room," he said guilty, "She's been…cranky today."

"So you came here?" Mark asked, amused, "What about her apartment?"

Roger made a face. "She said if I touched any of her stuff I wouldn't get any for a month." He shuddered, "She was in a _really_ bad mood."

Mark snorted, turning back over. "Fine, but no stealing the blankets."

**Fandom:**Rent  
**Title:**Lessons  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship, Roger/Mimi  
**Prompt:** Tears  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Who wants to tango with Roger?

Mimi stopped outside the loft door, listening.

"No no no! Step—step—step—SIDEstep!" That was Mark's voice, followed by Roger's voice, cursing.

Curious, Mimi peeked inside. Mark and Roger were in each other's arms—she blinked—tangoing?

Roger saw her and hastily yanked back out of Mark's grasp, causing Mark to stumble and almost fall over. He turned a bright red. "Mimi! I was just…we were just…uhhh."

Mark, turning, saved him. "He wanted to learn how to tango…to impress you." Roger nodded vigorously.

Mimi laughed until she cried, tears running down her cheeks. Then she ran to hug Roger.


	2. Star, Ends, Month, Snow, Triumph

This is a series of drabbles I signed up to write around the characters of Mark and Roger. I'm about finished with all 100 of them, so I figured that I would start posting them a few at a time.

These are not in any particular order, and most of them can be read on their own. If they do build off of each other I will post them together and make a note of it. These range from them being anything from friends to lovers, just to warn you, go from Pre-Rent to Post – Rent, and are anywhere in rating from G to M. I'll put up a warning if there's anything to make the rating go up above the drabble. I'm kind of experimenting with how to format this, so bear with me.

* * *

**Title:**Rock Star  
**Characters/pairing:**Mark/Roger Friendship  
**Prompt:** Star  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Roger is a rock star!

It was incredible to watch Roger transform from grumpy, silent roommate to bright, vivacious rock star. He played his guitar, he alternately crooned and screamed, he worked the crowd—and the girls all screamed his name and scrambled to get to him.

As Roger's friend, Mark was included in the rush. With Roger's arm slung over his shoulders, Collins and Maureen laughing on the other side of him, and the press of the crowd around them, Mark felt like life was bright and fast and glorious, that he had found his place, and that this could have no bad end.

**Title:**Endings  
**Characters/pairing:**Mark/Roger Friendship  
**Prompt** Ends  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary:**Mark wonders what his life is made up of

It was one thing, Mark knew, to measure your life in love when there are things to love. But what was there to love in having his best friend in the hospital, slowly fading away from him? _Dying_.

He rubbed his burning eyes and slumped in the plastic chair. His life was measured in endings, failures, and nothingness. Nothing good he'd had _ever_ lasted. Roger's death wouldn't be The End, rather it would just be one more end to add to the ever-growing list. Mark wondered dully what would happen when he just couldn't stand all of these endings anymore.

**Title:**Surprise Attack  
**Characters/pairing:**Mark/Roger Friendship  
**Prompt:** months  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Roger is very mean when he's sugar-high  
**Author's Notes: **And on a completely different note…silly fluff! Based on the premise that if you pack flour into tissues and then chuck them at people they explode.

Mark walked into the loft, turning to shut the door. When he turned back around something small and white was flying at him. He ducked but wasn't fast enough, and the object hit him and exploded on impact. The air felled with dust, and Mark got a large faceful of...flour?

"Where did you get flour?" he asked Roger after he stopped coughing.

"Maureen came over and made cookies," Roger mumbled from his perch on the table, his mouth full of cookie.

"Remind me to thank her," Mark said dryly, vowing that he'd get Roger back if it took him _months_.

**Title: **Foiled  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger Friendship  
**Prompt:** Snow  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mark tries to get Roger back, and fails  
**Author's Notes: **There is pudding involved.

Mark stood beside the loft door, the bowl of pudding Joanne had brought by earlier in his hands. Roger was going to get it when he came in…

Suddenly he felt someone at his back. A hand yanked his shirt collar, and a large clump of snow slid down it. Mark yelped and danced around, trying to dislodge it and somehow avoid throwing the pudding.

Roger stood behind him, grinning. "Mimi let me in, and I came up the fire escape," he said in explanation, "You really shouldn't have asked when I was coming home so many times."

Mark scowled.

**Title: **Triumph  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Triumph  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mark finally gets Roger back  
**Author's Notes: **Hahaha, I laugh at Roger.

Roger cautiously poked his head into the loft. Mark had been grinning like a loon all morning, so Roger was sure he was going to try to get Roger back tonight. But there was no Mark in sight when he looked in. He wasn't on the fire escape either. Maybe he had given up.

Feeling safe, he walked into his room and was immediately drenched with water and hit by a falling bucket. He swore. On his bed was a note in Mark's handwriting:

OUT FILMING. STOP DRIPPING ON THE FLOOR—MARK

Roger scowled and began to strip, plotting revenge.


	3. Hours, Children, Winter, Run, Parents

This is a series of drabbles I signed up to write around the characters of Mark and Roger. I'm about finished with all 100 of them, so I figured that I would start posting them a few at a time.

These are not in any particular order, and most of them can be read on their own. If they do build off of each other I will post them together and make a note of it. These range from them being anything from friends to lovers, just to warn you, go from Pre-Rent to Post – Rent, and are anywhere in rating from G to M. I'll put up a warning if there's anything to make the rating go up above the drabble. I'm kind of experimenting with how to format this, so bear with me.

* * *

**Title: **Hours  
**Characters/pairing:**Mark, Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Hours  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Mark can feel time slipping by too fast

When you have a death sentence hanging over you, every hour is both precious and agonizing. When it's your best friend in the entire world that's dying while you watch, every hour is just as painful, especially if that friend seems determined to throw it all away.

Mark sighed as he went to bed with Roger still staring into space, where he'd been all day. The worse of withdrawal was over, but Roger had been nearly comatose ever since. Mark could feel the hours slipping away from Roger, and he couldn't do anything to get them back for his friend.

**Title:**Photographs  
**Prompt:** Children  
**Rating:**G  
**Summary:**Mark and Roger were different children, but they were both loved

Two photographs. Two boys.

One is scrawny and pale; grinning at the camera with a smile that shows his missing front tooth. A pair of large, black-framed glasses dominate his face, and his pale blond hair has been neatly combed.

The other is scowling at the camera, clearly not happy to be there, and looking uncomfortable in his dress clothes. He has a small earring in one ear, and although his hair had been neatly brushed at one point, it has been pulled messily up into spikes.

Two boys. Two photographs. Both of them worn and creased from loving handling.

**Title: **The Cold  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Winter  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** Mark always takes care of Roger

It was winter, and once again the loft had no heat. It was possible to see your breath inside, even during the day. Mark and Roger both slept in multiple layers of clothing, under every blanket they owned, and they still weren't what could be called warm. Not frozen maybe, but not warm.

But during the night, Mark slipped across the hall between their rooms to pile some of his blankets on Roger. Because it was Roger who was more vulnerable to the cold. It was Roger who had to be protected. Even if Mark spent the nights shivering miserably.

**Title:**Reactions  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Run  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger can never take the pressure

He was going to run. Mark could see it in Roger's eyes. The way he wouldn't look directly at anyone, and took great care not to look anywhere near Mimi. As he sat beside Mark on the pew of the church, he shifted back and forth every few seconds, only stopping when the actual eulogies started.

When too much happened at one time, Roger always ran, whether it was from the room, or into his own head. With the double blow of losing Angel and fighting with Mimi, Mark didn't know what Roger was going to do. It scared him.

**Title: **Dangerous Questions  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Parents  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **In which Mark decides Roger can never reproduce.

"Have you ever thought about having children?" Mark asked Roger.

Roger looked up from his guitar incredulously. Realizing that Mark was serious, he snorted. "What the fuck? Besides the whole AIDS thing, do I look like the type of person to ever have children?"

Mark took a second to really think about the idea of a bunch of little Rogers running around. Or having little kids around when Roger was in one of his intense writing moods. Or having little kids around Roger in general. "Oh…right," he said.

Roger gave him a smug look and went back to his guitar.


	4. Joy, Nightmare, Drink, Spring, Touch

**Just a warning, there is a slashy drabble at the bottom. I labeled it in the header, but I thought I'd give an extra heads up. I'm trying to mix up the silly and the serious within each set also, so it doesn't get too monotonous.**

* * *

**Title:**Life Support  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Joy  
**Rating:**PG  
**Summary:**Roger finally comes to Life Support

Mark panned around the group, capturing faces. If he focused a bit more on Collins and Angel, well, they were his friends… He paused to wind up his camera, and then scanned again.

He stopped when his lens showed a familiar figure slipping through the door. Mark slowly lowered his camera and watched as Roger joined the circle beside Collins.

Emotion welled up inside of him as he watched Collins casually put an arm around Roger and draw him in. Joy. Pure and simple joy. His friend was out of the loft, by his own choice. He was finally healing.

**Title: **Fangirls  
**Characters/pairing: **Roger/Mark friendship  
**Prompt:** Nightmare  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger's having odd dreams...

Mark shook Roger. "Roger, wake up! You're having another nightmare."

Roger's sweat-soaked form twisted, and Mark shook him again. He was worried—withdrawal was hitting him hard. This was the seventh night he had woken Mark up with nightmares.

Roger's eyes opened, and he sat up. "Fangirls!" he said, still clearly asleep, "Everywhere! All raving lunatics! Can't…escape."

Mark stared. Roger was having a nightmare about…fangirls? "Roger, it's a dream. There are no fangirls."

Roger actually looked at him. "But where have the fangirls gone?" And then he fell over and was deep asleep.

Mark sighed and went back to bed.

**Title:** Saving Mark  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Drink  
**Rating:** R  
**Summary:** Mark shouldn't drink, really.

Roger wished he'd remember why he didn't let Mark drink _before_ Mark got drunk. He also wished his conscience would let him just laugh at Mark instead of feeling obligated to watch out for him. "Mark, we're leaving before the wannabe vampires decide you're their next convert or something," he said, gripping his wayward roommate's shirt collar.

Mark giggled. "They said they wanted to suck me." He laughed again. "But I wanna know if they mean my neck or my—" He stopped as he tripped over nothing.

"Christ," Roger muttered, steering Mark towards the door. "You're never drinking again."

**Title:** Spring  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Spring  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark tries to make Roger go outside

"Roger, it's spring. Get out here and come to the park."

Roger rolled his eyes, and when Mark didn't go away he muttered, "You sound like my mother."

"…no I don't. Do I? Shit, whatever. You're coming with me, so get up. You can park your ass on a rock and play your guitar while I do some filming."

He stared until Roger sighed. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine, asshole."

"It'll be good for you."

"Kicking your ass would be good for me too."

Mark grinned at him and led the way to the park.

**Title: **Nights  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger SLASH (first time rates capital letters, I think)  
**Prompt:** Touch  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark wakes Roger up  
**Author's Notes: **No smut, just nakedness.

Something heavy landed on top of Roger and woke him up. Blearily he opened his eyes to find Mark sprawled on top of him. He grunted and tried to move, but Mark…growled and clutched him tightly, throwing one leg over Roger's.

Roger blinked and stopped moving. Mark settled down with a sigh. Roger smiled and ran his hand down Mark's spine, watching Mark curl up tighter. Roger laid his head back down and began stroking Mark's hair.

It was a pleasant way to fall asleep, skin to skin with Mark and the soft feel of his hair in his hand.


	5. Days, Dinner, Smell, Lies, Weeks

**This lot is a mixed bag of humor, slashy-ness and some angst. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this:)**

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**Title: **A Plan  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger boyfriend  
**Prompt:** Days  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark has no objections to Roger's plan

It was morning, but when Mark tried to get up Roger grabbed him and pulled him back down, clutching him tightly so they were pressed skin to skin.

"Roger, let go," he said.

Roger didn't let go, although his eyes were still closed. "No, I want to stay in bed with you for as long as possible. Hours. Days, maybe."

Mark stared at him. "Days?" he said weakly.

Roger opened one eye. "Don't deny you'd like it," he said, running a finger up Mark's spine.

Mark shivered and decided it wouldn't be that bad a way to spend his time.

**Title: **Delayed  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark, Roger, Collins, Maureen all here. Strictly friendship.  
**Prompt:** Dinner  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark and Roger are already naked. Collins gets naked. Maureen wants to be naked.

"Let's go. We said we'd meet Maureen for dinner," Collins said to his roommates, who were sprawled naked next to the open refrigerator.

"It's too hot, we should just stay here, "Mark said, raising his head.

Collins hesitated. "You know you'd prefer to be naked," Roger added, not moving.

Thirty minutes later Maureen burst in. "Where were you guys? We were suppos—oh…"

She stared at the sight of all three of them sitting naked by the refrigerator. None of them had moved yet, not even Mark, although he was turning red. "Care if I join you?" she asked slyly.

**Title: **Scent  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger boyfriends  
**Prompt:** Smell  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark smells nice

Roger couldn't sleep. Beside him, Mark was completely out of it, but Roger couldn't keep his eyes shut. He was feeling restless lately, like he could feel time slipping away from him.

He pulled Mark closer, hoping that more contact would soothe him. Mark murmured and partially turned over. Roger settled in more firmly beside him, burying his face in Mark's hair. Where April had smelt of drugs and smoke, and Mimi of sweat and sex, Mark smelt only of soap. It was oddly comforting, and Roger hugged him tighter, letting Mark's clean scent lull him into sleep at last.

**Title: **Sweet Mistake  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger boyfriends  
**Prompt:** Lies  
**Rating: **NC-17  
**Summary: **Mark knows he should protest, but he doesn't

Mark lies back and lets Roger run his hands over his body. He knows he shouldn't—that he should protest. This can't be good for their friendship, but they are both more than a little drunk, and Roger, despite stereotypes, DOES look like a rock god, and he hasn't had any since Maureen left him, and oh god what was Roger doing with his mouth?

Mark can only lie there, occasionally cursing and gripping Roger's hair, and let Roger have his wicked way with him. And he knows that he can't, and won't, even regret it. Neither of them will.d

**Title: **Weeks  
**Characters/pairing: **Roger  
**Prompt:** Weeks  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Roger wonders about the reception he's going to get

It felt odd to be walking through New York again—odd but good. The weeks since he'd left for Santa Fe had dragged, and he was glad to be back. Except he didn't know what he was coming back to. He hadn't called since he'd left, and while he was reasonably sure Mark wouldn't throw him out, that was all he could guess. Mark would either be incredibly angry or he'd be relieved that Roger was back again. He reached their building and started climbing the stairs with a sigh. He was in for a rough night; he could tell.


	6. Broken, Faith, Year, Respect, Light, Sea

**Title: **Loss  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Broken  
**Rating: **Pg-13  
**Summary: **Mark grieves over the change in his friend

Mark laid a hand on Roger's shoulder. As usual, his friend flinched away and hunched further over his guitar. "I'm going out with Maureen, want to come?" Mark asked. He got an angry chord in reply.

He sighed as he left. He hated how Roger flinched away from all contact with anyone. It tore him up to see the remains of his punk, devil-may-care friend in the broken man that sat in the loft and wouldn't talk or even allow a touch. He kept trying to help, to be there if Roger needed him. It was all he could do.

**Title: **Overwhelming Fear  
**Characters/pairing: **MarkRoger friendship  
**Prompt:** Faith  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **There's a lot Roger can't deal with

Roger huddled over his guitar, trying to keep control. Every time Mark reached out—touched him, tried to get him to go out, offered to talk or listen—it made all of Roger's emotions come perilously close to the surface. He felt like if he responded everything he'd kept in check—despair, grief, fear—would overwhelm him, and he couldn't go back to the near-catatonic state he'd been in after April's death. He hated these feelings. He hated Mark's faith in him. It hurt, because he'd lost his faith in everything. But most of all he hated to disappoint Mark.

**Title: **Oh no...  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash, April/Roger  
**Prompt:** Years  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark walks in on something unexpected

Oh god. Oh _god_. He'd walked in on Roger and April having sex. _On his bed_. What they were doing on his bed and not in Roger's room Mark didn't know and didn't want to know. It was bad enough just walking in. It was going to be years before he could look at them without turning red, he knew it.

Not because they were having sex. That was normal. Not because Roger had seen him. They were friends—that didn't matter. No, it was because he had been a heartbeat away from asking if he could join them. Damn.

**Title: **Diva  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Respect  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mark walks in on something else...

Mark left his room to find Roger making a sandwich and humming. He leaned against the door frame and watched as Roger started dancing along with his singing, and he identified the song.

He burst out laughing, and Roger spun around. "I didn't think Aretha Franklin was your style. Turning diva, Rog?"

Roger smirked. "Yeah, you know what you want, baby I got it," he burst out, waving his arms. Mark ducked as peanut butter flew by.

"When I want idiotic, I'll be sure to look you up then," he said dryly. He promptly had to duck more peanut butter.

**Title:** Waking Up  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Light  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **The sun wakes Mark up

Sunlight hitting Mark's eyes woke him up. He opened one blearily, muttered, "fucking sun," and tried to roll over, but found he couldn't because Roger practically had him in a headlock. He squirmed and wriggled and pushed, but Roger not only slept like a log, he somehow had Mark's arms pinned too. Mark finally managed to get him moved, but ended up in the same position only with Roger's arm firmly around his face instead of his neck.

"Figures," Mark muttered, giving up. He settled in and went back to sleep. At least the sun wasn't in his eyes anymore.

**Title: **The Sea  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Sea  
**Rating: **R  
**Summary: **Mark looks around to find...

Mark heard someone calling his name as he lay sunning on the beach. Turning around, he saw Roger, standing in the surf and waving at him. Mark's mouth instantly dried, because Roger was gloriously, deliciously…naked. Then he was up and running, and somehow he was naked too. He tackled Roger, and they both tumbled backward into the warm sea, coming up sputtering. Then with a wicked grin, Roger reached down and…

A dull beeping filled his mind and he blearily opened his eyes to glare at his alarm. Time for another day of work at Buzzline, another day without Roger.


	7. Shore, Enemies, Birth, Trust

**I hope everyone is enjoying these, and thanks for everyone who reviewed! The last one in this is very slashy, just a warning.**

* * *

**Title:** Drowning  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark, Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Shore  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Roger is drowning, and he can't decide if that's good or bad.

Withdrawal. Some would say it was a process, a stage you went through to get from addiction to freedom. But for Roger it was an ocean. An ocean with no shore. He was drowning in it, floundering in pain, need, grief, and self-loathing.

Roger thinks, no he _knows_, that he would have drowned if it not for Mark. Mark who'd fed him, cleaned him up, and kept him from doing anymore damage to himself. It's why he shuts Mark out. He's can't deal with it. He's not sure whether to be grateful or to hate Mark for pulling him out.

**Title:** Recovering  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark, Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Enemies  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **The road to recovery is long and hard, and Roger doesn't even want to be on it anyway.

Grief, intense, soul-wracking grief, is as addicting as heroin, Roger discovers. It hurts-_oh it hurts_- but it feels better than letting go ever can. It's so much easier just to continue down that destructive path than to change. He revels in it, because April's dead-_she's fucking dead_-and he doesn't know what else to do.

That makes Mark an enemy. He insists on-_and won't shut up about_- drawing Roger out, and, despite himself, Roger is starting to listen. Not to act-_no, never that_-but to listen. Listen and try to dive back onto the safety of grief before he lets her go forever.

**Title: **Rebirth  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark, Roger, Mimi  
**Prompt:** Birth  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary: **Roger is provoked into listening to Mark.

Roger would have thought, if anyone had asked him, that finally putting everything—April, AIDs—behind him would be like some kind of rebirth. Like there would be some major change. He guesses you could call Mimi a major change—but it's not like he does it for her. She makes him angry though, angry and restless, and suddenly everything Mark had said to him about moving on and getting out of the loft seemed better than sitting around and waiting for her to barge in on him again. So he grabs his jacket and follows Mark to Life Support.

**Title: **Trust  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger SLASH  
**Prompt:** Trust  
**Rating: **R/M/NC-17, take your pick  
**Summary: **Roger is getting a lesson in trust  
**Author's Notes: **Once again, SLASH

Roger was tense as Mark tied the scarf over his eyes. He wasn't sure about this, but Mark had said it was a lesson in trust, and that Roger needed it—he didn't know if that meant a good fucking, or trust, but Mark had been serious, so now he was on his bed, blind, listening to Mark undress. Then Mark's voice was in his ear.

"Trust me" he said, running his hands up Roger's chest.

Roger managed to nod before he couldn't think, because Mark had replaced his hands with his mouth …

Roger decided he liked Mark's lessons.


	8. Sorrow, Friends, Purple, Red, Black

**Title: **A Wicked Solution  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Sorrow  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** Mark doesn't want to be mean...really.  
**Author's Notes:** I didn't want to write angst, so this is what you get for "Sorrow"

Mark looked down on Roger's slumbering form and shook his head in sorrow. His roommate looked so peaceful, sprawled out on his back and somehow managing to take up most of the bed. He even managed to look younger as he slept—less a rock star and more someone's punk kid brother. Mark hesitated. Roger probably didn't deserve this…

Another snore ripped through the air, and Mark shook his head. Who was he kidding? Of course Roger deserved this—he'd done similar or worse stuff to Mark tons of times. With a grin, Mark picked up his bucket of water.

**Title: **A Rude Awakening  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Friends  
**Rating:** PG-13   
**Summary:** Roger is angry

"Holy fucking shit!"

Mark grinned and stepped back as Roger bolted upright, flailing and swinging.

Roger swore some more as he wiped his dripping face off. His eyes settled on Mark, and he glared. "I'm going to kill you," he growled, rolling off the bed and advancing towards Mark.

Mark fended him off with the bucket. "You were snoring!" he protested, grinning.

That brought Roger up short. "Was not!" he said, looking affronted.

Mark shook his head. "Sorry my friend, you were."

Roger scowled. "I'm still going to kill you," he declared.

Mark decided retreat would be a good idea.

**Title:** When Someone is Bored...  
**Characters/pairing**: Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Purple  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark wakes up to find out Roger was bored...

Mark groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was definitely not a morning person. When he had pried his eyes open, though, one thing did penetrate his sleep-fogged brain.

His fingernails were purple, a deep royal purple.

"Maureen," he grumbled. He hated when she did stuff like this. It usually happened when she was bored—then he suffered the consequences. Then he remembered that Maureen had dumped him. She no longer even lived in the loft. And if she hadn't done it, then there was only one other person who would stoop to doing this…

"ROGER!"

**Title**: Payback is Sweet  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt**: Red  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary**: Mark gets his revenge

Roger woke up to find a very pissed-off looking Mark peering over the back of the couch at him. "Wha?" he mumbled, "I'm taking a nap."

Mark glared, "So _now_ you take a nap. Were you bored earlier?"

Roger just blinked stupidly at him until Mark disappeared from view. He settled back down, about to go back to sleep. Then he noticed his toenails were bright red. He sat up straight. "What the hell?" he said, looking suspiciously at Mark.

Mark raised an eyebrow and tartly informed him, "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

Roger lay back down with a groan.

**Title: **Bruises  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Black  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark gets the worst of Roger's moods  
**Author's Notes: **set Pre-Rent

Mark looked in the mirror at the bruise forming around his eye. He touched it gingerly and winced. Today had been one of Roger's violent periods, and if Collins hadn't been there, Mark couldn't have stopped Roger from going out.

Mark picked up the ice pack Collins had made him. Roger would be sorry when he was in one of his lucid moments, but for now he was surly and in his room. Mark firmly held the ice to his eye and went to coax Roger to eat. A black eye wasn't going to keep him away from his friend.


	9. White, Breakfast, Blue, Fixed, Quest

**Title: **Reminders  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** White  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark reminds Roger to take his AZT

"Take your AZT," Mark said. Roger, scribbling in his notebook on the couch, didn't respond. Mark sighed and, picking up the bottle, tossed it at him. He'd meant for it to land in Roger's lap, but it ended up hitting him in the side of the head.

"Ow!" Roger swiveled to look at him, "What was that for?"

Mark was unrepentant. "Take your AZT," he said again.

Roger took out a white pill and carefully held it up to Mark before swallowing it. "Happy, Mom?" he grumbled.

Mark grinned. "Yes, dear."

Roger flipped him off and went back to composing.

**Title: **The Morning After  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Breakfast  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger figures out trying to get Mark drunk is a bad idea...

The retching stopped, and Roger shakily reached up to push back his sweaty hair. This definitely wasn't the best morning of his life. Between bouts of puking and trying to stop his head from exploding, he remembered trying again to get Mark drunk, and again ending up completely trashed himself.

He heard steps behind him, and he turned around, cursing as the movement made his head pound worse.

It was Mark, looking disgustingly fresh. "Ready for breakfast yet?" he asked sunnily.

The mention of food made him hastily turn back around, vowing he'd never try to get Mark drunk again.

**Title:** Blue Jeans  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark didn't mean to pull that hard...

Mark looked from the fabric in his hand to the hole in Roger's blue jeans in disbelief. He hadn't pulled that hard. He'd just wanted Roger to watch a few minutes of his footage, and his roommate hadn't been listening.

Roger was equally incredulous. "These were my favorite jeans, you bastard!"

Mark stuttered, "I didn't mean to."

Roger craned his head around to survey the damage. "Do you suppose I can still wear them?" he asked moodily.

Mark eyed the large amount of boxer that was showing and shook his head. "I think they're doomed," he told his now-grumpy roommate.

**Title:** Sewing  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Fixed  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** Roger loves them too much to just let them go...  
**Author's Notes:** The sequel to "Blue Jeans" above.

Mark entered the loft to find his roommate sitting cross-legged on the table, concentrating fiercely on whatever he was holding. Mark looked closer. Roger was…sewing?

"I'm fixing the jeans you ripped," Roger said without looking up.

Mark snorted. "Roger, practically your whole ass was hanging out that hole. How are you going to fix it?"

Roger stuck his tongue out to make a particularly difficult stitch before answering. "You just ripped the pocket off. I can sew it back on. Then they're fixed!"

Mark just shook his head and continued to his room. His friend had the oddest possessive streaks…

**Title: **Jacket  
**Characters/pairing: **Roger/Mark mild slash  
**Prompt:** Quest  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Roger goes on a quest to find his jacket...

Roger eyed the pegs beside the door. His leather jacket was gone. He turned and scanned the room with no luck either. Frowning, he crossed to his room. No leather jacket. Not on his chair, or on his bed, or on any of the piles of clothes on the floor.

There was only one place in the loft he hadn't checked …

He stealthily opened Mark's door and peeked inside. Mark was curled in the center of his bed, on top of the blankets, wrapped in Roger's jacket. Roger smiled and closed the door softly. He could go out later.


	10. Death, Shade, Guilt, Lovers, Found

**Title: **Foreboding  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Death  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark isn't ready for the future

Mark watched Roger hold Mimi in his arms. He was happy they had found her, but he could see that death was close. It was the way her skin was too tight, her eyes shrunk into her head.

It scared him, a lot. What would Mimi's death do to Roger? Mark was afraid he would give up living.

But what scared the shit out of him was that he could see Mimi's features over Roger's. Roger's eyes becoming dull and shrunken. Roger's frame turning into a living skeleton. Roger on the edge of death. And Mark wasn't ready for that.

**Title: **Bitterness  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Shade  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark feels neglected, but can't complain

Mark watched Roger pluck a chord on his guitar before scowling and giving up. He knew that he'd hear about it that night when they all met for dinner. He knew everyone would tease and console Roger. Fucking Roger and his fucking blaze of glory.

Mark glared at his film. All Roger had to do was have one frustrating day, and all of Mark's struggles were put in the shade. Mark wanted to scream, but he never did. He knew that his film problems weren't as important as Roger's songs. After all, he had all the time in the world…

**Title: **Plaid Pants...  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Found  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mark is eyeing Roger's pants.

Mark eyed the pants lying across the couch. Roger must be wearing his jeans today. He rarely did, much preferring his plaid. Mark wasn't sure how, but he made them look good. Lying there alone, though, they looked tacky.

_They're bright red plaid pants,_ Mark thought to himself, _of course they look tacky. They __**are**__ tacky._ But he frowned at them consideringly. He just wondered…

Mark nearly jumped a foot when Roger stuck his head in his door. "Uh, Mark," his roommate said, bewildered, "Why are you wearing my pants?"

Mark blushed furiously. "Just trying them on, Rog," he mumbled.

**Title:** Denial  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger SLASH  
**Prompt:** Lovers  
**Rating:** R  
**Summary:** Mark doesn't want to tell Maureen the truth...

"Mark and Roger are looovers," Maureen taunted.

"Maureen, shut up!" Mark said, clenching his hands into fists. He didn't want to admit that she was right, at least not for a while yet. If she knew it was true, she would tease worse than this. He shuddered internally at the thought of the lewd comments Maureen would make if she knew they were lovers. "Where would you get that idea?"

Maureen smiled slyly. "Oh, I don't know," she said innocently, "Maybe because he just walked out of your room…" She leaned forward and lowered her voice dramatically, "Naked."

Mark sighed.

**Title:** Caught  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger SLASH  
**Prompt:** Caught  
**Rating:** R  
**Summary:** Roger wants to talk to Mark...

"Hey Roger," Maureen said, "Mark here was just denying sleeping with you."

"Oh, was he?" Roger's voice asked from behind Mark. An arm snaked around Mark's waist, pulling him back against Roger's chest.

Mark flushed, both with guilt at being caught by Roger, and because of Maureen's expression. He'd never hear the end of this. "Well I…I mean I…"

He trailed off as he was dragged backwards the few steps into his room. "If you'll excuse us, Maureen, Mark and I have to discuss a few things," Roger said.

Mark could hear Maureen laughing hysterically as Roger slammed the door.


	11. Sunrise, Sunset, Family, Play, Taste

**I got this idea from somewhere else and adapted it to these - looking at the same situation in two different ways. Hopefully it turned out interesting at least.**

* * *

**Title:** Bruises  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Sunrise  
**Rating:** R  
**Summary:** Mark has a black eye.

"Nice sunrise," Roger teased as Mark crawled into bed. He reached a finger towards Mark's eye, which was extremely colorful.

Mark batted it away before he got poked in the eye. "You should know," he grumbled. "Since you did it."

Roger grinned unrepentantly. "Well, if you sneak up and start molesting me you should've expected it."

"An elbow in the face?" Mark asked. He decided to play this up a bit more. "Well, if you're just going to attack me…" He made to roll away.

Roger stopped him. "Let me make it up to you," he suggested with a smirk.

**Title:** Bruises  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Sunset  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark has a black eye.

Mark slowly opened the door and looked inside. This morning had been violent, with Roger determined to leave and Mark determined to stop him. But now Roger was staring blankly at the wall – his skin turning red in the setting sun – and Mark opened the door further.

"Roger?" he asked softly. "Want some dinner?"

Roger looked blankly at him, blinked, and focused on Mark's face. "Mark? What happened to your face?" he rasped dully.

Reaching up to touch his black eye, Mark winced, because Roger was so far gone that he didn't even remember punching Mark. "It was nothing. Dinner?"

**Title:** Parental Stress  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Family  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark has a troublesome phone call...

Mark always says that friendship is thicker than blood. Of course, Roger thought with amusement, that wouldn't be difficult in Mark's case. He watched as Mark listened to the new message yet again.

"My parents are insane!" Mark said flatly, hands pushing through his dirty blonde hair so that it stood on end. "They're talking about visiting, again!"

Roger snorted. "They haven't so far."

"Because I stopped them every time they try!" Mark shouted. "But they won't listen now!"

Roger couldn't help it. Mark looked so frazzled, and he burst out laughing even as he patted Mark's arm in sympathy.

**Title:** Roommate Stress  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Play  
**Rating:** R  
**Summary:** Mark has a troublesome phone call...

"Throw down the key," Mark said when Roger picked up the phone.

Mark heard scuffling, and Roger appeared on the fire escape with the phone and key. "What'll you do for them?" Roger asked, dangling the keys.

"What?" Mark asked. "Roger, hang up the damn phone and toss me the keys!"

Roger leaned over; Mark could see his smirk. "What's my incentive?"

Mark knew Roger's game, and he wasn't playing. "I'm so kicking your ass."

"Ooo, kinky," Roger purred. "But not good enough…"

"Roger!"

"Yes?"

"I fucking hate you," Mark muttered.

"As long as you don't hate fucking me."

"Roger!"

**Title:** Kid at Heart  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Taste  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Roger cuts his finger.

"Ouch, dammit!"

Mark craned his neck around as Roger continued cursing. "What happened?"

"I sliced my thumb," Roger mumbled around his thumb as he sucked on it.

"I thought you'd outgrown thumb sucking," Mark teased.

"Fuck you," Roger said without heat. There was a pause. "Do we have any band-aids?"

"I think my mother brought us some," Mark said after some thought.

Roger disappeared into the bathroom. When he returned his thumb was black and yellow. "You know that I would make fun of you for this," he remarked, examining it. "But Batman is awesome, so I'll let it slide."

**Title:** Worry  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Bittersweet  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Roger cuts his finger.

Roger cursed as he cut his finger on his razor. He cursed again as Mark walked into the bathroom. "Out!"

"What?"

Roger wasn't about to let Mark _near_ his tainted blood. "Out!" When Mark didn't move, Roger pitched him out one-handedly, slamming the door.

There was pounding. "Roger? Roger!"

Roger ignored him until the finger was bandaged and the area scoured for blood. "I'm fine! Go away!" The pounding stopped, but Mark was waiting when he left. "I cut my finger," Roger said. Small pause. "You can't be around my blood." He watched the concern in Mark's eyes become understanding.


	12. Strangers, Teammates, Air, Grief, Fear

**I hope everyone is enjoying these. I'm starting class again on Monday, so updates may be a bit more sporadic. But thanks for reading and reviewing. :D  
**

* * *

**Title: **Ping Pong Balls  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Strangers  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Roger likes to throw things at strangers...  
**Author's Notes :**I actually had a dream about this, and thought it was too funny to pass up.

Mark walked out on the balcony to find Roger leaning against the wall, a bag of ping pong balls beside him. Roger leaned forward, aimed, and threw one over the edge. Mark could faintly hear a small _thwok_, followed by cursing. He raised an eyebrow.

Roger looked over and grinned. "Found 'em in the alley, and I got bored," he whispered, throwing another ball. More cursing, and Mark could see Roger trying not to laugh. Roger saw Mark's face and laughed more. "I'm not hurting anyone!" he defended himself.

Mark sighed and left. He didn't get Roger's sense of humor.

**Title: **Operation: Maureen  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Teammates  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Maureen is practicing too much.

It was universally agreed that Maureen was too worried about her protest. This was the sixth time she'd practiced today, and she had to practice as loudly as possible.

Roger winced at a particularly high note. "Team Alpha, we're in position and ready to proceed. Are we cleared to go?" he said, miming a walkie-talkie.

Mark, on the other side of Maureen's door, just stared.

Roger sighed. "Ready?" Mark nodded. "Let's go."

Bursting into Maureen's room, they dragged her out into the rain, locking the window after her.

"You needed to chill out," Roger called over her shrieks, high-fiving Mark.

**Title: **Lazy Roger  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Air  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger is asleep and making inappropriate suggestions

Mark stood beside Roger's bed and poked him. "Get up," he said, "We promised to go to Maureen's show, remember?"

Roger mumbled something, of which Mark caught only "Fuck Maureen," and burrowed deeper into his blanket until he was only a lump and a thatch of hair.

"Maureen is with Joanne," Mark patiently explained, "So that's not possible. And we promised, so we have to go or Maureen will nag us for the next three years."

Roger only grunted from under the blankets. Mark glared. "You asked for this," he said, grabbing the edge of the blanket and pulling, leaving Roger to shout and swear in the cold loft air.

**Title: **Tragedy  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Grief  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **The boys come home to a horrible scene

Mark stared at the scene in front of him. April, dead in the bathtub, the blood on her pale skin standing out like a beacon. He turned quickly to keep Roger from seeing, but his friend had seen and shoved him aside. Roger sunk to his knees, his grief pouring out of him in a string of pleas and curses.

Mark dialed 911 and went back to try to calm Roger down, even though he felt like doing the same.

Neither of them noticed the post-it note on the mirror.

**Title: **Anticipation  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Fear  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark fears for the future

Mark closed the door to Roger's room, careful not to wake him. This peace wouldn't last, he knew.

He didn't know how much more either of them could take, the endless grief, guilt and withdrawal. He didn't know how things could change, not after what had happened. April's death, discovering that Roger was HIV positive, and the struggle of withdrawal as he tried to clean Roger up. Mark lived with the fear that someday he would find Roger in the bathtub like April, and when he thought of that it was his turn to run to the bathroom and vomit.


	13. Too Much, Spirit, Not Enough, Earth,

**Sorry this took so long! And this is a pretty slashy lot, so enjoy. **

* * *

**Title:** Roger's Moods  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slashy feelings  
**Prompt:** Too Much  
**Rating**: PG  
**Summary: **Mark thinks about Roger's moods

Sometimes Mark found he _could_ have too much of Roger. When Roger was moody, or selfish, or bitchy. Or when Roger was apathetic or careless or reckless. Then Mark would get irritated, and have to retreat into filming for a while.

But not too often. Because Roger was like that a lot. It was how he was; it was part of the reason Mark had fallen in love with him. It was only when Roger was like that for a long time that Mark had to retreat, but he couldn't stay away long. No matter Roger's moods, Mark loved him.

**Title: **Ghosts  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Spirit  
**Rating: **R  
**Summary: **In Which the spirit of Mark's Mom appears and Roger is naked

"OooooOOOoo, Mark, I'm the spirit of your mother, haunting you because you haven't been a good Jewish boy."

Mark pried his eyes open to see a white figure hovering over him. "'the hell Roger?" he mumbled, fumbling for his glasses. "Why are you wearing a sheet?"

Roger just stood there. "Would you prefer I not wear a sheet?" he asked.

"Yes!" Mark answered.

Roger flipped the sheet off to reveal that he had nothing on under it.

Mark stared. "I definitely like you better without it."

Roger laughed and climbed into bed. "And you're definitely not a good Jewish boy."

**Title: **Cuddle Time  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Sixth Sense  
**Rating: **R  
**Summary: **Roger detests Mark's PDA rules and so is plotting (and naked)

Roger eased into bed, careful not to wake Mark. Once in, he wrapped his arms around Mark and drew him back against his chest. Mark shifted, but didn't wake up, and Roger relaxed.

He needed more touch-time with Mark, but Mark was so damn sensitive about touching in public. It was like he had a sixth sense that once they started, Roger wouldn't stop until they'd progressed to a full-scale make-out session in Times Square. He was probably right, but that didn't mean he should distance himself from Roger during the day! So Roger cuddled him at night and plotted…

**Title: **Not Enough  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Not Enough  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger insists that something is missing in the loft.

"You know what there's not enough of in this loft?" Roger asked, watching as Mark edited his film.

Mark stopped working and looked up. "Food?" he said wryly, "Heat? Hot water?"

Roger shook his head. "No," he said, an evil grin coming over his face, "Sex. There's not enough sex in this loft."

"Roger, I'm trying to work!" Mark said, moving to keep the table between him and Roger, "We have sex all the time!"

"Not enough," Roger insisted, finally just leaping over the table, nearly knocking Mark's equipment off. Mark didn't resist as Roger dragged him into their bedroom.

**Title: **Earth Day  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship, Roger/Mimi  
**Prompt:** Earth  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mimi finds out it's Earth Day...

"April 22. Mimi has found out it's Earth Day, and is forcing Roger to help her plant flowers on the fire escape," Mark narrated, pointing his camera at his friends.

Roger, up to his elbows in dirt, glared. "Why aren't you making him help?" he demanded.

"Because he's not my boyfriend," Mimi answered calmly, continuing planting, "Now keep working."

Roger grumbled and wiped his forehead, smearing dirt everywhere. Mark burst out laughing.

"Oh, you think this is funny?" Roger demanded, getting up and advancing with dirt-filled hands. Mark didn't make it inside before he got dirt shoved down his shirt.


	14. Sound, Hero, Summer, Temptation, Whisper

**Much like Mark in most of these, I have no idea why my Roger seems to spend most of his time naked. He just does. That and be silly. Possibly it's because I feel that, while angst is good to write, this fandom has an overabundance of it, and I like to remember the happier times of their lives. Anyway, enough of this long a/n and onto the drabbles (in which Roger is naked a lot).**

* * *

**Title: **Sources  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Sound  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Roger finds a new source for a song...

Roger was about to give up on his song when he heard something. Mark was humming as he wrote his screenplay. Roger paused, and began playing what Mark hummed. He waited and then copied the next part. He changed it around a bit, and it was starting to sound pretty good…

Mark looked up to find Roger staring intently at him. He stilled, aware that he had been humming, and sure that Roger was annoyed. "Sorry, Roger," he apologized.

To his surprise, Roger shook his head, "No, keep going." Mark raised his eyebrow and obediently started humming again, utterly confused.

**Title: **Rescue!  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt: **Hero  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark is afraid of spiders

Mark opened his eyes from his nap to find a big, black spider sitting on his chest. Because he was terrified of spiders he yelped and bolted upright, knocking it off.

"Mark?" Roger called from his room.

"Spider!" he answered.

There was a yell, "I'lllll saaaave yoooouuuu." And Roger came hurtling out—naked and wielding a pillow—to vault the couch, landing on top of Mark. After a few minutes of pummeling Mark, he stopped and looked down at him with a huge grin. "I saved you from it," he announced.

Mark glared at him. "My hero…" he said dryly.

**Title: **Ice  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Summer  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **It's summer. It's hot. Roger complains

"It's hot," Roger said for the twentieth time. He was sprawled belly-down on the couch.

Mark scowled. He was hot too, but if Roger pointed it out one more time he was going to throttle him. Deciding that there was only one way to shut Roger up, he silently got up and picked his way over to the tiny freezer, grabbing the ice cube bucket. Palming a handful, he shoved them down the back of Roger's pants. Then he dumped the rest on Roger's head. "Cooler?" he asked, watching Roger yelp and try to fish ice out of his pants.

**Title: **In the Middle of the Night  
**Characters/pairing:**Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Whisper  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger cant' sleep

Mark was woken up by someone poking him and a loud whisper.

"Psst, Mark!"

It was Roger, he knew, but he couldn't wake up enough to think why Roger was in his room at night. "Wha?" he managed to mumble.

"I can't sleep, can I sleep here?" Roger whispered back.

Mark mumbled something affirmative and fell back asleep as Roger crawled into bed next to him.

He opened his eyes the next morning, rolled over, blinked and rubbed his eyes, and then stared, appreciating the view. He had forgotten Roger slept naked. Grinning, he reached over to grab his camera.

**Title: **Hot Days  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt: **Temptation  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger tries to keep cool

Mark walked into the loft to find Roger sprawled on the floor, completely naked.

"It's fucking hot," Roger said before Mark could ask. Mark nodded. It was a freakishly hot summer, and the floor was cooler than sitting on furniture. And his clothes seemed to get sweaty before he pulled them on…

"You're weird," he told him roommate as he crossed the loft to his room. But he had to resist the temptation to join Roger. He didn't dare though. It would be far too tempting to do more than just lay there, and he couldn't reveal that to Roger…

**Title: **Nakedness  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slashy  
**Prompt: **Truth  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Roger is always naked, and it bothers Mark.

Mark came home to find Roger sitting on the couch playing his guitar…naked. He stopped and stared. "Roger, why are you always naked?" he asked. Not that he was complaining, but he didn't see a reason for it now…

Roger looked up and grinned. "Is there any reason for me not to be naked?" he asked. He grinned. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

Mark gulped. The truth was, Roger did make him uncomfortable, and it was harder everyday to hide his growing attraction. Worse, Roger seemed to know it. He felt himself flushing, and Roger smirked at him. Mark fled.


	15. Moon, Lost, Shy, Anger

**Title: **Blame  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Moon  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **In which Mark gets blamed for being naked

Mark walked out of his room in time to see Roger, pants around his knees, sticking his ass out over the balcony railing. There was a feminine shriek from below, and Mark ran over and pulled Roger back. Leaning over the railing, he saw Joanne.

"MARK! I said throw down the key, not moon me! You are so in trouble when I get up there!" She brandished her briefcase at him.

Mark looked at her wide-eyed as he tossed down the key. Turning around, he confronted Roger. "Can't you ever keep your pants on?"

Roger just grinned unrepentantly at him.

**Title: **The Bet  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Lost  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **In which Mark is forced to be naked

"Don't make me do this, Roger," Mark begged as he slowly stripped off his pants.

Roger grinned evilly. "You lost the bet, so you don't have a choice. Now strip!"

Mark did, slowly and protesting the whole time.

"Now do it," Roger ordered.

Mark glared, but Roger didn't back down, only grinned more widely, if possible. Finally Mark gave in and went over to the window. Opening it, he climbed out onto the fire escape. Taking a deep breath, he began to spaz dance, his face turning bright red. Behind him, he could hear Roger laughing hysterically.

He vowed payback.

**Title: **No Privacy  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Shy  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **In which Mark is walked in on naked

Mark got out of the shower, toweled himself off, and grabbed his toothbrush. He had just started to brush his teeth when the door swung open without warning and Roger walked in.

Mark nearly choked as Roger reached around him without a word to grab a band-aid from the cabinet. Was it not enough for him to feel attracted to his roommate without said roommate walking in on him naked? It could not possibly get worse.

But of course it did. Roger turned as he walked out and winked. "Nice ass," he said. Mark choked again and turned bright red.

**Title: **Pestering  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Anger  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark is mad, and naked

Mark gritted his teeth and then jumped up from where he had been laying on the couch. "I don't like to sit around naked, unlike you!" he yelled, fed up, "But if it makes you happy…"

He ripped his pants off and faced Roger. "There, I AM NAKED! Are you happy?"

Roger stared, and then his eyes widened, and he fell backwards, laughing hysterically

Mark turned around to find Maureen and Joanne standing in the door, looking at him like he was crazy.


	16. Hide, Water, Fire, Lightning, Food

**No more random and silly nakedness in these, I promise! These ended up being entirely friendship drabbles, so they should be a nice change of pace. Hope everyone is still enjoying these.**

* * *

**Title:**Hiding

**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship

**Prompt:** Hide  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Roger can't take it anymore

Roger cautiously poked his head into the loft. Mark wasn't there. He slunk in and went straight to his room, shutting the door behind him. With a sigh of relief he slid down to sit on the floor. He knew Mark would kick his ass if he found out about this.

He couldn't help it. He couldn't go without any longer. Mark would just have to deal with it.

He pulled out the Twinkie and bit into it with a moan. He knew they couldn't afford them—which was why he had only bought one. Mark could find his own.

**Title: **Mysterious Dripping  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Water  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Mark can't find the water dripping that he can hear

_Drip. Drip_. Mark snarled and swung out of bed. It had to be one of the faucets dripping, but this was the third time he'd gotten up and he couldn't find it. He stormed out of his room and checked the kitchen sink and bathroom faucets. Nothing.

He was heading back to his room when he heard a muffled laugh. Poking his head around the corner he saw Roger sitting on the floor. Roger grinned and puckered his lips. _Drip._ Mark narrowed his eyes. Roger was rolling on the floor laughing when Mark landed on top of him, fists pummeling.

**Title: **Preoccupied  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Lightning  
**Rating: **PG-13 (bit of language)  
**Summary: **And Mark think Roger is oblivious sometimes...

Roger knew he was single-minded sometimes, Mark told him so often enough. But he also knew that he couldn't compete with his roommate sometimes.

"Mark!" he called, hauling open the window to the fire escape, "Mark, get your ass in here, there's lightning."

Mark wound up his camera again and continued filming the dark clouds. Roger grabbed his collar and towed him inside without saying anything. Mark wouldn't pay attention anyways.

As Roger latched the window, Mark blinked and looked from Roger to his camera and back. "When did you get home?" he asked vaguely.

Roger sighed. "Three hours ago."

**Title: **Concern  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Food  
**Rating: **G  
**Summary: **Roger is worried because Mark is sick

Mark cracked his eyes open as Roger poked his head in.

"Are you okay, man? I made you soup." he said when he saw Mark awake. He looked worried.

Mark raised his eyebrow. Roger did not make anything, even soup.

Roger smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I stole a can from the grocery and got Mimi to heat it up. But I brought here."

Mark hauled himself carefully upward. His flu was mostly gone, so some soup would be nice. "Thanks, Roger," he said. He knew Roger was worried because of what flu would have meant to him. "I'll be fine."

**Title: **Candle Flame  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Fire  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark doesn't want Roger to be like he was when April died...

The candle flame danced in front of his eyes. Vibrant, _alive_. Slowly he extended a finger—it burned him. He jerked back but continued to stare, motionless.

He heard Mark come up behind him. "She's gone, Rog," he said gently, "Let her go. Don't do this again, please."

_Mimi_. He mourned, and in mourning brought up his grief for April. Mark's hand on his shoulder made him look around. "Come on," his friend said, "Come to the Life."

Roger licked his burned finger and slowly and deliberately snuffed out the flame. Mark was right—it was time to move on.


	17. Fall, Dark, Time, Lunch, Rain

**Only a few chapters worth of these left! Entirely friendship drabbles again this time, and some angst too. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Title:** Time  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship, Roger/April  
**Prompt:** Time  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** They're young, and they have time for everything 

"Mark, come out with us," Roger called as he gelled his hair into spikes.

"I'm not going to be third wheel to you and April," Mark answered without looking.

"Collins will be there."

"I have to finish this screenplay," he snapped.

Roger came out of the bathroom and grabbed his jacket. "Come _on_ Mark. You have all the time in the world to finish that!"

Mark sighed and looked up. "Fine," he said, admitting Roger was right. They were young, and they did have all the time in the world. Time to live now, and work on their art later.

**Title:** Falling  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship, Roger/Mimi  
**Prompt:** Fall  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark is a very focused individual...

Mark is so focused on the shot that he forgets that he's also walking down stairs until his foot goes out and catches nothing but air. With a wild yell, he plummets, hurtling past a startled Roger and Mimi to land in a heap on the ground, body curled protectively around his camera.

He coughed and slowly sat up as he heard Roger and Mimi rushing down to him. "I'm okay," he said, testing various body parts. "And my camera's not broken!"

Roger, in the process of helping Mark stand up, stopped and started laughing. "You're an idiot," he said.

**Title:** Lunch  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Lunch  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark is lonely

With his first paycheck from Buzzline, Mark bought food for the loft. Actual food, that tasted good. And he had an actual lunch for the first time in ages.

But it was too quiet to enjoy it, and he was alone. Ironic, the first time there'd been food in the cupboard in a long time and there was no one to enjoy it but him. It was funny, but he didn't feel like laughing. Instead, he felt nub, and he would have given up his paycheck just to see Roger walk in the door. He missed his friend so much.

**Title:**Rain  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Rain  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:**Roger doesn't care about the rain. This makes Mark wary

Unlike most people Mark knew, Roger never cared when it rained. Maybe he thought he was too badass to notice. Maybe he was aware of how attractive he was soaking wet. Either way, Mark eyed him as he came dripping through the door.

"Stay away," he ordered, shielding his screenplay from stray drops.

Roger grinned, but didn't approach. "Nice to see you too," he said.

"You're soaked, and you know you were going to come drip on me," Mark retorted.

"Maybe," Roger admitted. He smirked, and then immediately shook like a dog, laughing as Mark spluttered and cursed.

Rock stars…

**Title: **Thoughts  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Dark  
**Rating: **PG-13(language)  
**Summary: **Mark can't sleep

Roger got up and left his room. It was dark, and he managed to kick the doorframe on the way through to the bathroom. "Ow, fuck!"

As he stopped to rub his foot, he saw that Mark was up too, faintly visible in the moonlight. He went over. "What are you doing up?"

Mark didn't turn. "Couldn't sleep. It's easier to sit and think, anyway."

Roger was skeptical. "In the dark? About what?"

"Everything. Anything. It's better than laying there, being alone."

That silenced Roger. Suddenly the dark seemed like…more, somehow. He sat with Mark the rest of the night.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	18. Thunder, Storm, Villain, Nap, Tease,

**Title:** Homecoming  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Thunder  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Roger's not sure what he's going back to.

Thunder rattled the bus window as Roger rested his face against it. He sighed, thinking the weather was perfect for homecoming, considering he wasn't sure if he had a home to come back to. He could still picture the look on Mark's face when he'd left. They'd both said things that shouldn't have been said, and while Roger had been too angry to really feel anything said, he knew Mark wasn't like that. Roger couldn't have hurt him more if he'd stabbed him. So as the bus rattled on, he wondered if he was going home, or just going back.

**Title:** Stress  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship, Collins  
**Prompt:** Storm  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Collins isn't sure Mark can handle everything.

"This isn't right. My film doesn't work, and Roger's not coming back-it's been over a month." Mark shoved away from the film editor with a snarl.

Collins just looked up and sat back. "Give it another few weeks, he'll be here," he said calmly.

Mark dropped his head into his hands. "You didn't hear him that night, what we said to each other." He shook his head and wearily turned back to his film editor. "He's not coming back," he mumbled.

Collins watched Mark in concern and hoped that Mark was wrong. For Mark's sake, Roger had better come back.

**Title:** Differences  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship, Mimi/Roger  
**Prompt:** Villain  
**Word Count:** 100  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Roger thinks about the differences around him

Roger stormed back upstairs, angry that Mimi had come back high yet again, and then had tried to get him to follow. He'd left immediately, not trusting himself. Mark would do his level, one hundred and thirty pound, Jewish boy best to kick Roger's ass if he thought Roger had even been tempted to start using again. That thought made him smile as he slammed into the loft, before he thought of Mimi again. Sometimes he thought they hurt each other more than they loved each other. Funny, how his girlfriend liked hurt him while his best friend never did.

**Title:** Roger's Spot  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Nap  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Roger claims his spot

"Hey, you're in my spot."

Mark cracked his eye open , unhappy that Roger had decided to interrupt his nap. "'m sleeping. Go away," he mumbled.

"Well, you're sleeping in my spot," Roger persisted, poking him.

Mark glared, even though he knew Roger was just teasing. "It's _my_ bed," he grumbled before turning his back to Roger.

He felt the bed dip behind him, and then Roger stretched out next to him, one arm around his waist and the other resting between Mark's shoulder blades. "Like I said, my spot," he whispered.

Mark smiled and didn't argue. It was true.

**Title:**Tease  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Tease  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Summary:** Roger's such a tease

Mark moaned and twitched as Roger ran his tongue around Mark's nipple. With Roger's hands pinning Mark's wrists, and his hips pressing him down into the bed, Mark couldn't move much, but he wriggled anyway.

Roger looked up and grinned. "What was that?" he teased, "You want me to stop and go sleep in my bed?"

Mark's answer—somehow freeing one leg and wrapping it around Roger's waist—made it very clear that he didn't think Roger was funny, but he wanted him to hurry up and move faster please. Roger chuckled into the side of Mark's neck and obliged.


	19. Hate, Life, Freedom, Journey, Slave

**I think there's only two chapters left after this one - down to the home stretch! I hope everyone is still enjoying these. Have some more introspective ones this time, with one silly one.**

* * *

**Title:**Hate  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Hate  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary: **Mark hates his life

Mark stood on the rooftop, hating life. He hated Buzzline. He hated having no time for his own film. But most of all he hated Roger.

He hated Roger for leaving, for not being there when he was devastated by Angel's death, for having love and running away. When Roger came back, Mark was going to fucking murder him.

He heard a step and turned to find Roger standing behind him, a wary expression in his eyes. Mark launched himself at Roger, completely forgetting his hate as he pulled his friend into a hug.

"I'm glad you're back," he said.

**Title:** Life Is  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger, Roger/April  
**Prompt:** Life  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Life is many things

Life is changing. Life is learning to never hide Roger's eyeliner before a show. Life is listening to Roger playing guitar at all hours without going insane. Life is knocking because Roger and April could have sex any time, anywhere. Life is figuring out that what makes Mark truly mad is messing with his camera. Life is learning where Roger's heroin is to keep him from using. Life is leaving and coming back and yelling and forgiving. Life is letting someone get so tangled in your life you can't get them out and don't want to. Life is about love.

**Title:** Pest  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger  
**Prompt:** Slave  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Roger needs a favor

"Ow! God damn it, Roger! I was sleeping!" Mark's protest was loud as Roger flopped on top of him. "Get off!" He tried to throw Roger off.

"No, I need a favor, Marky," Roger crooned, using his greater weight to keep Mark pinned.

"Piss off," Mark growled.

"Come oooooooon," Roger said, not moving an inch.

"No!"

Roger settled in. "I'm not letting you up until you agree," he said, grinning evilly enough though Mark couldn't see him.

Mark groaned and gave up. "You are such a bastard."

"You know you love me anyway."

Mark sighed. "Fine, what do you want?"

**Title:** All In One Year  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark, Roger  
**Prompt:** Journey  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark thinks about the last year

_Whoever said life is a journey was right_, Mark thought as he made the final edits to his film. He sifted through the moments playing out before him. Physical journeys—to the Life, or the laundromat, or to Santa Fe and back. Emotional ones—making friends and finding love and letting go. Journeys through relationships—passion and pleasure, fighting, breaking and making up. Creative ones—writing a song or putting on a performance or finally finishing a film. And that was just the tip, all packed into the one short year he'd filmed. Who knew what would happen next year?

**Title:** Santa Fe  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger, Roger/Mimi  
**Prompt:** Freedom  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Santa Fe lacks a lot...

For Roger, Santa Fe meant freedom. No drugs, no troublesome girlfriend, no old memories. Just clean, hot sun, and his guitar. But all of the freedom gave him too much time to think about what wasn't there. No one warm in bed next to him. No drinking nights with friends. And no Mark to tell him to take his AZT, or fuss over his eating habits, or bother when Roger was bored. No Mark to fight with or joke with or talk to or tease. No Mark to just be _there_ when Roger needed him. Actually, freedom lacked a lot...


	20. Guitar, Moving In, Bunny, 4th of July

**One chapter left after these! This is kind of the random grab bag of what was left, hence the very random prompts. Thank you to everyone who has been reading!**

* * *

**Title: **Fourth of July  
**Characters/pairing: **Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Writer's Choice  
**Rating:**Pg-13  
**Summary: **Roger shouldn't have sparklers, especially when he's drunk.

Roger hung over the edge of the balcony railing, waving a sparkler and screaming hoarsely. Mark grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him back. "Roger, you're drunk, and you're going to kill yourself!"

Roger swung around _into_ Mark, pinning him against the wall. "'s the 4th," he said, only slurring slightly, "Hafta celebrate." Then he leaned down and kissed Mark. "Happy 4th of July," he said.

Mark stared at him dazedly, grinning stupidly, until he noticed how close Roger's sparkler was to his head. "Give me that," he said, wrestling with Roger, "before you set something on fire!"

**Title:** Lessons  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slashy  
**Prompt:** Guitar  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark gets Roger to teach him something...

"You're holding it wrong. Like this."

Mark gritted his teeth as Roger pressed against his back and repositioned Mark's hands. He wasn't sure if this was his best idea ever, or worst, but he was stuck now.

"Now move your fingers like this."

Mark struggled to concentrate as Roger explained playing a guitar. But how was he supposed to do that when Roger was so close Mark could hear him breathing? He shifted the guitar to cover his groin. Maybe he wouldn't know two notes by the end of this, but he could always ask Roger for another lesson tomorrow…

**Title:** The Many Faces of Mark  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Moving In  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Roger can't figure Mark out

The first time Roger saw Mark, he was dressed like a college bookshop—all baggy sweatshirt and sweats. Roger pegged him as a wannabe artist and dismissed him from thought.

The second time Roger saw Mark he had to do a double take and revise that opinion, because now Mark was all tight vintage tee and ripped jeans, freshly painted black fingernails.

The third time Roger saw Mark, Mark looked like the poster Jewish boy, complete with sweater and corduroys, although he still had the polish, and Roger had to stop judging Mark, because clearly that didn't work with him.

**Title:** Gifts  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger friendship  
**Prompt:** Bunny  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Mark knows what Roger likes most...

"Here," Mark said, handing Roger a package.

Roger eyed it. "Dude, you're Jewish, you don't celebrate Easter."

Mark snorted. "You're not Jewish, and you talked about it all yesterday. Just open the damn thing."

Roger needed no other urging and ripped it open, setting it down on the table with something approaching awe. "Where did you get one so big?"

Mark laughed as Roger seized the chocolate bunny, and, like any good five year-old, promptly broke the ears off. He stuffed half in his mouth, and offered Mark a piece. "I love you," he mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate.


	21. Love

**So this is it, the last two drabbles for this little series. Technically, I was done after the first one, but it required a counterpoint, I felt. Thank you to everyone who's been around reading through all of these; it was a lot of fun writing and posting them. :D**

* * *

**Title:** The Ways Mark Loves Roger  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Love  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Mark thinks about the ways he loves Roger.

Mark loves Roger in so many ways they're impossible to count. Yes, there's physical love, for Roger's lean body and electric eyes and magical hands. There's the love that's from depending on each other for so long—something that's deeper than friendship. He loves how Roger inspires him artistically and pushes him outside his normal boundaries and makes him feel…well, cool. It's love that makes it easy to forgive Roger, no matter what, with no words, just looks. And he's pretty sure that it's love that makes him ache every time Roger coughs, or loses weight, or talks about dying.

**Title:** The Ways Roger Loves Mark  
**Characters/pairing:** Mark/Roger slash  
**Prompt:** Love  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Roger thinks about how he loves Mark.

Roger loves Mark. He knows he doesn't deserve Mark, but he loves him. He loves how Mark actually listens to his music and likes it. He loves how being around Mark makes him feel like an important artist, because Mark lives and breathes art. He loves how Mark will fuss and worry about someone for ages, but turn bright red in embarrassment when it's reciprocated. He loves that Mark doesn't need him to _explain_ everything-he's just helps Roger deal with what happens after, good or bad. But mostly, he loves how Mark is always there for him, no matter what.


End file.
